Television-based client devices, such as digital video recorders, are implemented by television viewers to receive video content in the form of video on-demand entertainment, such as movies, and to receive broadcast and/or interactive television entertainment and information. For example, a viewer can initiate receiving a movie for viewing from a video on-demand server system whenever it is convenient for the viewer to watch the movie. A digital video recorder includes a hard disk memory so that the viewer can also record the video content, and other media content of interest to the viewer, for future viewing when more convenient for the viewer.
Typically, media content providers of music, movies, and television control and authorize the distribution of the media content based on economic models that charge consumers a subscription fee to obtain authorized access to the media content, such as a monthly subscription fee or a one-time pay-per-view fee to receive a particular movie, sporting event, or other type of premium program for viewing. Further, typical subscription pricing, such as a monthly fee, is static from month to month and does not reflect the viewing choices and habits of individual viewers.
The advent of on-demand programming, such as video on-demand from a media content server system and recorded on-demand media content, provides a viewer with the option to navigate a program with media content navigation features commonly referred to as “trick modes”. These navigation features are typically initiated by a viewer with a remote control device and include commands such as fast-forward, skip-ahead in the program, jump to a next segment, pause the program, rewind, and the like.
Fast-forward and skip-ahead navigation control inputs from a viewer, while beneficial when used to shorten the time for viewing a program, enables the viewer to skip past advertisements that may be prepended to a video on-demand movie, for example, or that may be interspersed between segments of a program, sporting event, or movie. In addition to the revenue obtained from viewers for monthly content subscriptions and pay-per-view purchases, these advertisements for products and services are a large source of revenue for a provider of the media content. However, advertisers will be increasingly unwilling to have their advertising messages communicated with media content that a viewer can navigate to skip over the advertisements.
Accordingly, media content providers need to provide alternate advertisement revenue models so that advertisers will continue to sponsor advertising messages being delivered with media content for consumer viewing.